Eugene Ballet Company’s “The Sleeping Beauty”: Oct 24, 2015

Eugene Ballet Company opened its season with a dazzling production of choreographer Petipa and composer Tchaikovsky’s “The Sleeping Beauty.”  What a treat to ease into a classical ballet – fairies! Good ones, one really bad one, garland dancers, dancing cats, dancing bluebirds (Question for Petipa: Why no scene where Puss in Boots chases the Bluebird? – but I digress) – the overall effect was pure magic, and the classic roots of the dancing showed off the sharp technique of the EBC dancers. Continue reading 

Punk’s Not Dead

Author Bob Suren reads from his punk-rock memoir

Bob Suren

Bob Suren’s new book, Crate Digger: An Obsession with Punk Records — out now from Portland publishing house Microcosm Publishing —  tells the story of the author’s love affair with punk music. The journey takes Suren from band member to record storeowner, fanzine editor, radio show host and record label founder.  “For many years I was self-employed,” Suren tells EW, “but for many years punk rock was my boss.” Continue reading 

Eugene Ballet Company presents The Sleeping Beauty

Jennifer Martin and Yoshie Oshima in The Sleeping Beauty

Eugene Ballet Company presents the timeless tale of The Sleeping Beauty, considered one of the greatest ballets of all time. The story of Princess Aurora is one made famous both by the Brothers Grimm’s “Little Briar Rose” and, of course, Disney’s animated feature film. However, the story of true love’s kiss first came to be told through dance. Eugene Ballet Co. Continue reading 

Irish Invasion

Riverdance returns to Eugene for its 20th anniversary tour

Since bursting onto the scene in 1995, Riverdance has employed more than 2,000 dancers and performed more than 11,000 shows before 25 million people in 467 venues across 46 countries. But who’s counting?  In advance of the show’s return to the Hult Oct. 28-29, we caught up with senior executive producer, Irishman Julian Erskine, who’s been with Riverdance since the beginning.   Continue reading 

Let There Be Blood

Dear Guillermo del Toro: Qué pasó? Did someone hijack your latest movie, Crimson Peak, and simply keep your name on the writing and directing credits? I smell a rat. Maybe Tony Scott? No, sorry, he’s dead. Please tell me it wasn’t Michael Bay. Anybody but Michael Bay. Continue reading 

Shadows of Post-Punk

Shadow Age

Shadow Age

Silaluk, the debut full-length album from Richmond, Virginia post-punk revivalists Shadow Age, is out now on 6131 Records. The album is garnering critical acclaim among a movement of new bands revisiting the classic post-punk sound.  “Musically I was really inspired by most of the older UK post-punk bands from the early ’80s,” vocalist and guitarist Aaron Tyree says. “Like The Chameleons, The Cure, Death Cult, Danse Society.”  Continue reading 

The Future of the Internet

If you want to be great you have to get in front of as many people as possible and be confident yet vulnerable

The Internet

Critically acclaimed soul and R&B act The Internet features Syd the Kyd (Sydney Bennet) and Matt Martia, alumni of controversial and groundbreaking hip-hop collective Odd Future.  The Internet’s 2015 release Ego Death is out now on Odd Future’s record label. The record frequently gets lumped in with an avant-garde or alternative soul scene alongside artists like Janelle Monáe. In fact, Monáe makes a guest appearance on Ego Death’s “Gabby.”  Continue reading 

Indie Honesty

Horse Feathers

Horse Feathers

After 10 years of indie Americana marked by the slow-burning sound of violin, cello, guitar and melancholic vocals, Justin Ringle, frontman for Horse Feathers, thought he was finished with sad songs, and therefore done with his career. He didn’t pick up his guitar for months.  But instead of finality, Ringle chose revision, replacing strings with drums on the band’s recent album, So It Is with Us, and, in that pivot, encouraging fans to want what they want for themselves: more joy and more fun. Continue reading